CARE OF FOODS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 13 June 1927, Page 8

CARE OF FOODS

"RATIONAL DIET AS A MIXED

DIET"

HEALTH CvFTCER'S VIEWS

Allow-me to impress upon, you that Ihe rational diet is the varied and mixed diet," said Dr. T. Fletcher Telford, District Health Officer, during the course of a lecture lie delivered at Christchurch. Tho subject of the lecture was "Care of Food from a Public Health Point of View." "A lot. of people advocate a nut and fruit diet, but if we are to make a meal of nuts 1 should have indigestion for two or three days." (Laughter.)

MEAT FOOD'S

Dealing first with meat foods, Dr. Telford said that pollution sometimes occurred during the dressing of the carcases, which were invariably wiped down with hot water and a rug. Provided the carcases were dried off quickly there would be. few contaminating organs on the surface, which would be likely to do any harm. If, however, moisture remained, particularly in the region of the kidneys, putrefaction would take, place. Persons suffering from infectious fevers sometimes became chronic carriers, and excreted organisms through the gall bladder. Ameiicans considered that- every norson who was a carrier should have his gall bladder cut out, but, that was an extreme view. (Laughter.) Food Was easily contaminated if ib person suffering or recovering from fever was careless, and people eating .it suffered certain ill eflects afterwards. If a meat carcase became infected, most people thought it should smell, but (lie most harmful were those with no obvious smell. Meat should be got reasonably fresh, and put iu a safe in a cool place, with a reasonable amount of. draft. The meshes should be so close as to exclude the smallest flies and midgets. Most people were satisfied to exclude blowflies and flic ordinary house Hies, but this was not sufficient.

MILK

■Milk was one of the ideal foods, particularly in the younger stages of life. When it came to cooking, people would he lost without it. A great many persons had been dying down milk, but it was an ideal food for people below par. What should be taken into consideration were the source and condition under which the milk was gathered. The-first thing necessary was a healthy cow, free from disease. The dairyman .must wash the cows' udders, and it was desirable that the hair should he clipped riff, in ordor to facilitate washing. His own hands should be carefully washed, and his clothes freshly laundered and cleaned. The buckets should be well sterilised, and. he covered for the greater part, allowing just sufficient space at the. top for the. milk to enter. The milk should be cooled to 40 degrees Fahr., to prevent atmospheric organisms from developing. It was wonderful how few outbreaks of disease were traceable to milk, considering the facilities for its contamination. In the summer time most women scalded or pasteurised

their milk, which was n good practice, though, fur 111" infant, it- was always butter In have new milk, which could be relied on. Milk had been the cause of many mil breaks of food-poisoning and infection, but (he contamination usually originated through .some person suffering from scarlatina, septic, throat or some intestinal disease.

STARCHY FOODS

In connection with starchy foods, if they were kepi, in, a dry state there ■was very little risk when properly screened from insects. "If the surroundings were damp, these foods would develop moulds which would set up infernal irritation.

In ear bo-'hydrate foods, such as pens, beans, rice, tapioca and sago, the main things to guard against were insects and weevils which commonly got into ■ his type of food. If the spoilage was slight it could be overcome by putting the lot through a process of'sufficient heat to kill both the adult weevil and its eggs.

BEVERAGES

When it came to beverages, the staple ones, such as tea. coffee, cocori and chocolate, if taken in moderation, were not, to the Speaker's mind, harmful, that was providing the ingredients were free from any adulteration. Tea was sometimes adulterated with willow leaves nicely curled, and also used leaves -which had lien put through certain processes, Those days, however, were nearly over, as a chemical test would spot the adulteration at once, and the offender would be severely dealt with.'

Dr. Telford said he deprecated itlie swalloWing of so much carbonated drink containing gas. The host type of drink was the plain, ginger beer in the stone bottle, as this coin hi not be made a. hash of. Children "with the stains of certain coloured drinks all down the front of their dresses were an abhorrence <t-o him. The dyes used for making these drinks were'the waste of coal tar distillation, and wen; all right for dyeing fabrics, but because some ' considered them harmless, and they had not been proved harmful, tlicv reckoned it was a fair thing to get .the public to swallow them in drinks.

In conclusion, D\: Telford dealt with canned foods, which he regarded as safe lines to-day, because of (he sterilisation processes which they underwent.

After answering a few questions, the lecturer was accorded a. hearty vole of iiianks, carried with acclamation— Press. i